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 The
Davis Cup is the international team event in men's
tennis. The largest annual team competition in sport, the Davis Cup is run
by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of
players from the competing countries in a knock-out format. The women's
equivalent of the Davis Cup is the Fed Cup (known
as the Federation Cup before 1995).
Each round consists of 5 matches
(known as a rubber or a tie) between two countries. The first two
matches are singles, the third is a doubles match, and in the last
two matches (the reverse singles) the first contestants play again,
but swap opponents from the earlier matches. There is no restriction
on who may play the doubles match: the two singles players, two
other players (usually doubles specialists) or a combination. If
one team has already clinched the rubber, either team may change
the players it uses in the reverse singles, with the only restrictions
being that the players involved be on the original team roster
and the matchups from the first singles matches cannot be repeated.
All rubbers are normally best-of-5
sets. If a team has clinched the rubber before all 5 matches are
played, any remaining reverse singles matches are shortened to
best-of-3 sets.
The tournament was conceived in
1899 by four members of the Harvard University tennis team who
came up with the idea of challenging the British to a tennis showdown.
Once the idea received the go ahead from the respective lawn tennis
associations, one of the four Harvard players, Dwight F. Davis,
designed a tournament format and spent the money from his own pocket
to purchase an appropriate sterling silver trophy.
The first match, between the United
States and Great Britain was held in Brookline, Massachusetts in
1900. The American team, of which Dwight Davis was a part, surprised
the British by winning the first three matches. The following year
the two countries did not compete but the US won the next match
in 1902. By 1905 the tournament expanded to include Belgium, Austria,
France, and Australasia, a combined team from Australia and New
Zealand that competed together until 1924.
These tournaments were only officially
called the Davis Cup following the death of Dwight Davis in 1945.
From 1950 to 1967, Australia dominated the competition, winning
the Cup 15 times in 18 years. Since inception, the U.S.A. has won
the event the most times (31), followed by Australia (23), France
and Great Britain (9 each), Sweden (7), and Australasia (5).
On the 100th anniversary of the
tournament's founding, 129 nations competed for the Davis Cup.
Past Champions
* 2004 - Spain wins 3-2 over the
United States
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Carlos Moyà (ESP) def.
Mardy Fish (USA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
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Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Andy
Roddick (USA) 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-2
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Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) def.
Juan Carlos Ferrero/Tommy Robredo (ESP) 6-0, 6-3, 6-2
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Carlos Moyà (ESP) def.
Andy Roddick (USA) 6-2, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5)
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Mardy Fish (USA) def. Tommy
Robredo (ESP) 7-6 (8), 6-2
* 2003 - Australia wins 3-1 over
Spain
* 2002 - Russia wins 3-2 over France
* 2001 - France wins 3-2 over Australia
* 2000 - Spain wins 3-1 over Australia
* 1999 - Australia wins 3-2 over France
* 1998 - Sweden wins 4-1 over Italy
* 1997 - Sweden wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1996 - France wins 3-2 over Sweden
* 1995 - United States wins 3-2 over Russia
* 1994 - Sweden wins 4-1 over Russia
* 1993 - Germany wins 4-1 over Australia
* 1992 - United States wins 3-1 over Switzerland
* 1991 - France wins 3-1 over the United States
* 1990 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia
* 1989 - West Germany wins 3-2 over Sweden
* 1988 - West Germany wins 4-1 over Sweden
* 1987 - Sweden wins 5-0 over India
* 1986 - Australia wins 3-2 over Sweden
* 1985 - Sweden wins 3-2 over West Germany
* 1984 - Sweden wins 4-1 over the United States
* 1983 - Australia wins 3-2 over Sweden
* 1982 - United States wins 4-1 over France
* 1981 - United States wins 3-1 over Argentina
* 1980 - Czechoslovakia wins 4-1 over Italy
* 1979 - United States wins 5-0 over Italy
* 1978 - United States wins 4-1 over Great Britain
* 1977 - Australia wins 3-1 over Italy
* 1976 - Italy wins 4-1 over Chile
* 1975 - Sweden wins 3-2 over Czechoslovakia
* 1974 - South Africa wins over India (walkover)
* 1973 - Australia wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1972 - United States wins 3-2 over Romania
* 1971 - United States wins 3-2 over Romania
* 1970 - United States wins 5-0 over West Germany
* 1969 - United States wins 5-0 over Romania
* 1968 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia
* 1967 - Australia wins 4-1 over Spain
* 1966 - Australia wins 4-1 over India
* 1965 - Australia wins 4-1 over Spain
* 1964 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1963 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia
* 1962 - Australia wins 5-0 over Mexico
* 1961 - Australia wins 5-0 over Italy
* 1960 - Australia wins 4-1 over Italy
* 1959 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1958 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia
* 1957 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1956 - Australia wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1955 - Australia wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1954 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia
* 1953 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1952 - Australia wins 4-1 over the United States
* 1951 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1950 - Australia wins 4-1 over United States
* 1949 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia
* 1948 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia
* 1947 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia
* 1946 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia
* 1940 to 1945 - no tournament due to World War II
* 1939 - Australia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1938 - United States wins 3-2 over Australia
* 1937 - United States wins 4-1 over Great Britain
* 1936 - Great Britain wins 3-2 over Australia
* 1935 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1934 - Great Britain wins 4-1 over the United States
* 1933 - Great Britain wins 3-2 over France
* 1932 - France wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1931 - France wins 3-2 over Great Britain
* 1930 - France wins 4-1 over the United States
* 1929 - France wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1928 - France wins 4-1 over the United States
* 1927 - France wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1926 - United States wins 4-1 over France
* 1925 - United States wins 5-0 over France
* 1924 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia
* 1923 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia
* 1922 - United States wins 4-1 over Australia
* 1921 - United States wins 5-0 over Japan
* 1920 - United States wins 5-0 over Australia
* 1919 - Australia wins 4-1 over Great Britain
* 1915 to 1918 - no tournament due to World War I
* 1914 - Australasia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1913 - United States wins 3-2 over Great Britain
* 1912 - Great Britain wins 3-2 over Australasia
* 1911 - Australasia wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1910 - no tournament
* 1909 - Australasia wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1908 - Australasia wins 3-2 over the United States
* 1907 - Australasia wins 3-2 over Great Britain
* 1906 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1905 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over the United States
* 1904 - Great Britain wins 5-0 over Belgium
* 1903 - Great Britain wins 4-1 over the United States
* 1902 - United States wins 3-2 over Great Britain
* 1901 - no tournament
* 1900 - United States wins 3-0 over Great Britain
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